Antiqueus

Book excerpt: Dearkin, a 352-year-old wizard takes his three charges... Eric, 18, Amanda, 14 and Harry 11 back to Antiqueus, the homeland he had left 112 years earlier. Being located in the mid Atlantic, the vast continent is the home of the legendary city of Atlantis. Aboard Dearkin's flying sailboat, the Mazzergast, they pass through a time rift exiting into present day Antiqueus six hours, eight minutes and four seconds into the future. Completely cloaked from our world by the time differential Antiqueus has existed, separate from our world, for nine thousand years when a massive crystal meteorite struck the continent thrusting it into the future. Besides exploring the stunning wonders of Atlantis, the fanciful landscapes of Antiqueus and the diverse mix of species, Dearkin and his crew increase in number as they track down the crazy wizard who fled with parts of the life-giving Crystal, causing destructive Time Querks and advancing the Crystal towards its inevitable annihilation destroying all of Antiqueus. Not only fighting the Time Querk's bizarre phenomena, the protagonists must fend off the vile hoard of Psychnaughts: bat-winged creatures who, seeing the young Amanda as the fulfillment of prophesy, seek to kidnap and sacrifice her life for the fruition of the Crystals destruction. Through their continental quest of finding the crazed wizard and replacing the stolen crystals the philosophy of the Wizardry is revealed, a young romance is started as another long-term one is renewed and all of Antiqueus is rocked to its core fighting a climactic battle between good verses bad and destruction verses creation. Accompanied by 35 illustrations, 12 maps and an expanded Glossarium, Antiqueus, Quest of the Mazzergast is a compilation of over fifteen years of research, writing and art. It has, at times been the bane of my life, but all in all, getting the chance to share my story with readers, young and old has been the most rewarding joy my life.